Category: Seasonal Gifts

Christmas adverts and marketing campaigns are often on an entirely different scale to the usual adverts you see throughout the rest of the year. There have been iconic promotions from some of the world’s biggest brands, and certain companies have developed a reputation for bringing out the big guns when it comes to their festive promotions. This article will look at some of the best and most effective Christmas advertising campaigns that this year had to offer.

John Lewis

Synonymous with big budget Christmas adverts, this year was no different for John Lewis as their £1m TV campaign set the benchmark for Christmas promotion. Starring a CGI penguin named Monty, the advert followed the John Lewis trend of a tear-jerking, heartwarming story about a young boy and his best friend. As well as the advert itself, John Lewis spent a staggering £7m on the campaign in total, including a smartphone app, a story book and soft toys. Featuring music from Tom Odell, the advert was a huge hit and was the first event in the Christmas marketing battle between the country’s major retailers.

Sainsbury’s

Another behemoth company who spared no expense with their Christmas promotions, Sainsbury’s went for a historical approach with their advert. Reliving the famous day in the First World War in 1914 where the British and German soldiers laid down their weapons to engage in a friendly game of football, the advert is a touching and poignant reminder of the sacrifices people made for us to enjoy what we have now. The soldiers on opposing sides share chocolate and biscuits, enjoying a respite from the combat, before the distant sound of gunfire signals them to reluctantly return to their respective trenches and prepare to become enemies once again. The commercial’s tagline is ‘Christmas is for sharing’, and given the production values on the piece, you would be forgiven for thinking it was a trailer for a Hollywood film rather than a supermarket’s Christmas advert.

Boots

For their Christmas showpiece, Boots opted to draw attention to the unsung heroes of the festive period, those who work hard to put Christmas dinner on the table and presents under the tree. Showing a nurse who has had to sacrifice Christmas Day with her family for work leaving her shift at midnight, returning to what she thinks will be an empty house and to go to bed ready for Boxing Day. However, unbeknownst to her, her family have banded together to meet her at home in the middle of the night to celebrate the Christmas Day she gave up. Boots’ aim was to help their customers and those who see the advert give recognition to the special people in their lives, highlighting the importance of showing you care as well as giving gifts.

Marks and Spencer

Retail giant Marks and Spencer combined the TV format used by other businesses with harnessing the power of social media for its Christmas drive. In 2013, M&S used a star studded campaign, featuring models David Gandy and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and actress Helena Bonham-Carter. This year, the chain used Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook to give gifts to lucky recipients across the country. Using the Twitter handle @thetwofairies, they have provided real snow to a primary school in Cornwall, given gifts to night shift workers and lit up Newcastle’s Tyne Bridge with fairy-shaped lights.

While the figures that you hear when talking about the cost of these Christmas adverts can be quite eye-watering, the impact that they can have for their respective businesses cannot be underestimated. John Lewis, for example, have developed something of a reputation for delivering a blockbuster advert for the festive period, and this year has seen more companies get in on the act and deliver big-budget advertisements to boost their custom at the most frantic time of the shopping calendar.

Ramping up your marketing efforts over the festive period can yield fantastic benefits for your business. As customers and clients are looking for the perfect gift for their friends and family, planting your company firmly in their minds and hopefully drawing their attention to your services. Banaman are specialists in high quality promotional printing, whether you need it for stationery, coasters or clothing such as t shirts and hoodies. Our expert team can provide these services at excellent prices in all quantities, with no minimum. For more information, get in touch with us today.

Thermos/Hip Flask

Hot drinks can be a lifesaver during the colder months, nothing is more satisfying than a hot chocolate or mulled wine when the temperature is reaching its lowest. By providing clients with branded hip flasks or Thermos flasks, you are attaching your company name to a very useful accessory that will be used frequently during the winter.

Ice Scraper

While not the most glamorous of tools, the ice scraper is invaluable for motorists up and down the country during the UK’s bitter winters. Something as simple as putting your logo or slogan on an ice scraper and handing them to clients will prove a shrewd bit of marketing. A great plus point for the use of ice scrapers is that they do not cost a lot to buy, meaning you can afford to give them to clients at little or no expense.

Gloves

A must have accessory for the winter, gloves are a fantastic way to get your brand name out there to potential clients and to keep it fresh in the minds of existing customers. As simple as patching your logo or company name onto some thermal gloves, you can then rest assured that your brand is a regular feature of your customers’ or potential clients’ winter days. Ensure that the gloves are of a high quality, as a high quality product will cause clients to associate your brand with similar qualities.

Umbrella

Portable and incredibly useful, umbrellas are an ideal winter accessory to adorn with your company name and logo. Available in a variety of sizes and colours, umbrellas can be provided to your clients to ensure that your brand is fresh in their mind whenever they need to shelter themselves from the rain. What’s more, if the umbrella is open and in use, passers by will get a glimpse of your brand too!

Torches

A very helpful item for the dark winter evenings, torches are available in a range of sizes, from large, powerful ones to handy miniature models that can fit on your keyring – perfect for when you’re fumbling for the lock when you get home from work! With the smaller ones available at excellent prices, you can afford to gift them to clients or potential clients without worrying about the financial aspect.

Here at Banaman, we provide the finest promotional printing products at excellent prices for all our customers. From stationery to clothing, our promotional printing is done to the highest standard, and with no minimum order, our work is suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Marketing your company is a year-round job, and as such you may find yourself continually having to think of fresh ideas to make your business appeal to existing and potential customers alike. When the festive period rolls around, you are likely to find several ideas for inspiration, and this article will help highlight some of the best ones.

Comfort and Warmth

One of the most attractive ideas to people in the cold winter months is the idea of being comfy and warm, whether that’s in front of the fire or wrapped up in winter clothes outdoors. If you can focus your campaign on something around this theme, so if you’re a clothes brand, for example, you can lure people in with the suggestion of warmth and comfort.

Holidays

An escape from the cold and a trip to warmer surroundings is a route taken by many people during winter, so why not capitalise on this and market your business using winter trips as your theme? This is perfect for a range of businesses in a variety of sectors, from travel to clothing to food. Food that is typically from hotter countries can help customers feel like they’re escaping the winter, for example.

Winter Sports

Sports appeal to a huge range of people, and one of the benefits of using winter sports is that you can either use the sport itself to promote your business, or you can recruit a professional athlete to be a spokesperson for your brand. If used correctly, it can work wonders in attracting new customers. For example, if you run a business selling winter clothing, a professional athlete endorsing your product will boost its reputation no end.

Christmas

Perhaps the most obvious one, Christmas is usually on people’s minds the moment the days start to get shorter and temperatures drop somewhat. Using the festive period to market your business is a tried and tested tactic that is used by small companies and multinational corporations alike. By tying in the Christmas theme with products or services that your business provides, you can make your advertising campaigns relevant and appealing in the winter months.

Here at Banaman, we are proud to provide first class promotional printing services to all our customers. We are specialists in the printing of your company logo or slogan on a wide range of promotional items, from pens and pencils to hoodies and baseball caps. If you would like to know more about what we do, get in touch with us today and we’ll be more than happy to help.